Brussels, 23/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 22 June, the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee heard Fathallah Sijilmassi, the secretary general of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), who made a presentation on the annual report of the UfM's activity.
Sijilmassi gave a review of the UfM's activity by setting it in both a European context and in that of the southern shore of the Mediterranean. Unsurprisingly, the main theme was the issue of migrants - an issue at the forefront of current affairs. In Sijilmassi's opinion, “the common opportunities and challenges must be taken into account” by working more on “the link between migration and development” and by leaving behind “a purely security vision”. The UfM would thus be “qualified” to “find concrete applications [to these challenges] in regional policy (…) I will submit ideas on this subject to the member states and to the co-presidency”, he said. Sijilmassi also intends to work on “the cultural and inter-religious dialogue”, where - once again - the “responsibility is collective”. Another area for reflection would be “to bring together all the structures that work on the Mediterranean in order to be better coordinated”.
The top priority is, in Sijilmassi's view, the issue of youth employment, and this can involve projects both to the north and south of the Mediterranean in a regional perspective. He says that there are currently 13 projects ongoing. The other areas of focus are, firstly, the affirmation of women and increasing their responsibility - be this in the south or north of the Mediterranean: “the problems are on both sides of the Mediterranean”, he said; and, secondly, “very long term sustainable development (infrastructure, energy, environment and urban”. The latter theme “will take on growing importance in the coming years”.
As regards the UfM's results, Sijilmassi added: “I can't tell you that what we are doing is satisfactory”, but the effort exists, despite the context and, he also implies, within the limits of the mandate given to the UfM - which is “an intergovernmental structure, but its action is not limited to that”. The “parliamentary dimension” would apparently be useful for deepening its work. Sijilmassi also intends to “work in greater synergy with all the bodies and institutes focusing on the region”, with which “the agenda is common”. He presented a detailed review of the projects - 8 conferences, 13 meetings of senior officials, 5,000 instances of networking, 33 “labelled” projects (50% of which are currently being implemented with public institutes, governments and financing institutions, and the other half of which are being implemented by “non-governmental bodies, civil society and universities”). Other projects are also planned.
In Sijilmassi's view, the most important issue - coming ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Barcelona process in November - is the “need to confirm the importance of the regional dimension in the Mediterranean, which remains the weak link, because this region's level of integration is abnormally low”. Sijilmassi hopes that the review that has been announced of the European neighbourhood policy will strengthen this dimension, as he is convinced that “building the region” is the key for addressing the current challenges. Concluding a debate, during which nearly all the participants stated their interest in strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean “regional dimension”, Sijilmassi said that faced with the complexity of the situation, “the Mediterranean today has an address. It might seem pretentious to say this, but this tool was lacking” in the Barcelona process. (Fathi B'Chir)